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Temperature has a huge effect on how a beer tastes, and what flavors are most dominant when the brew hits your tongue. The optimal temperature of the beer depends a lot on the type of beer that you are serving. We’ve got the details, so let’s get started!

Hot and Cold

Chilled beer is obviously refreshing – but lower temperatures also affect our taste buds. First, cold temps will keep our tongues from sensing many of the flavors present in the average – we’re so busy experiencing the “cold” part of the beer, the “taste” part has less of an impact and our taste buds can become suppressed. Cold temperatures also have another effect – they slow down the volatilization of compounds in the beer. In other words, compounds that would normally be changing and giving off aromatic compounds stay sluggish: This usually means the beer has less flavor when icy cold than when at a higher temperature – there’s less interesting activity going on inside. From a more general perspective, cold temperatures also make it easier to notice carbonation, bitterness, and dry notes, which change the way you think about the beer. Continue reading →